Swoosh!

A lance of pure spiritual pressure tore through the void, annihilating the air with a high-pitched shriek. It slammed into the cobblestones between Han Lie and Xiao Qingge, blasting a crater three meters wide and forcing them to leap apart in a shower of debris.

“My, how rude,” Xiao Qingge dusted off her dress, stomping her foot with exaggerated petulance. “Is it customary to attack without a greeting? Tell me, are we the demonic cultivators here, or are you?”

“You slaughtered twenty disciples of the Myriad Sword Pavilion,” a voice cut through the dust, cold as glacial ice. “And you expect a greeting?”

Xiao Yuruo stepped through the haze, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword. Her gaze was sharp enough to draw blood.

“Your logic is fascinating, Fairy,” Han Lie straightened his lapels, his expression calm. “Your sect invaded the Heavenly Void Sect’s mining territory. We defended our assets. Or perhaps you expected us to wash our necks and line up politely for your blade?”

“Sophistry,” Xiao Yuruo retorted, her eyes burning with righteous fervor. “In my eyes, demonic cultivators are the parasites of this world. Your very existence breeds chaos and blood. If your kind were purged, the world would finally know peace.”

“Well said!”

“Kill the scum!”

Behind her, the disciples of the Myriad Sword Pavilion roared their approval, their morale ignited by her declaration.

“Righteous and demonic cannot coexist!”

“A debt of blood must be paid in blood!”

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

New figures descended rapidly from the outpost—He Tao and his enforcement team, drawn by the explosive disturbance.

“Myriad Sword Pavilion again?” He Tao’s face darkened, but his eyes widened when they landed on the woman leading the charge. The blood drained from his face. “Wait… You… You are Xiao Yuruo?!”

Xiao Yuruo crossed her arms, her chin lifting slightly. “You know me?”

Cold sweat beaded on He Tao’s forehead. He flashed to Han Lie’s side, his voice dropping to a frantic whisper. “Brother Han, be extremely careful. That isn’t just some elite disciple. She is the Young Pavilion Master of the Myriad Sword Pavilion, and the scion of the Ancient Xiao Clan of the Central Plains!”

“The Xiao Clan?” Han Lie raised an eyebrow.

The Tianyuan Continent was vast, but the Central Plains were the heart of power. The ‘Ancient Clans’ there were leviathans, possessing resources and heritage that made the sects of the outer domains look like children playing with sticks.

“Her background is terrifying,” He Tao hissed.

Han Lie shrugged, his internal energy humming beneath his skin like a coiled dragon. The old man he once was might have hesitated, but the predator he had become felt only the thrill of a challenge. “Never heard of them.”

He stepped forward, locking eyes with the swordswoman. “Xiao Yuruo, was it? The rabble you brought is mediocre at best. If we turn this into a brawl, your side will suffer heavy casualties. I have a proposal to avoid unnecessary death.”

“Unnecessary?” A disciple beside Xiao Yuruo sneered, stepping forward. “We’re here to exterminate vermin! There is no—”

“Quiet.”

Han Lie didn’t shout. He simply flicked his gaze toward the interjecting disciple. It was a look of absolute, crushing indifference, heavy with the weight of a predator observing prey. The disciple choked, his knees buckling as a suffocating aura of death washed over him.

“The Emperor sits calm, yet the eunuch sweats,” Han Lie drawled, his voice dripping with mockery. “Is it a custom in the ‘righteous’ sects for the dog to bark while the master is speaking?”

“You—!” The disciple’s face flushed a deep crimson, humiliated.

Xiao Yuruo raised a hand, silencing her subordinate. She stared at Han Lie, her curiosity piqued despite her anger. “Speak. What is your proposal?”

“I’ve heard the Young Pavilion Master is a prodigy,” Han Lie said, a faint smile playing on his lips. “I would like to experience your swordsmanship myself. A duel. Just us.”

“A duel?” Xiao Yuruo glanced at Xiao Qingge, who was watching with wide, innocent eyes. “And the stakes?”

“If I lose,” Han Lie said, “I will hand over the one responsible for the deaths of your disciples.”

“Eh?” Xiao Qingge let out a startled gasp. She immediately darted behind Han Lie, clutching the fabric of his sleeve with trembling hands. She peeked out, her eyes shimmering with terrified tears. “B-Brother… you wouldn’t…?”

Xiao Yuruo’s eyes narrowed.

Han Lie patted Xiao Qingge’s hand, playing along with the theatrics. “Do not worry, Fairy Qingge. You are safe.”

“Mhm…” Xiao Qingge nodded fervently, pressing her cheek against his shoulder. “Little Sister believes in Brother! Brother, you have to win! Teach that fierce woman a lesson!”

She looked at Han Lie with adoration, then shot a glance at Xiao Yuruo. For a split second, the fear vanished, replaced by a smug, provoking smirk, before she returned to her trembling act.

Xiao Yuruo’s grip on her sword tightened until her knuckles turned white. This woman… this affectation… it’s nauseating. She had the sudden, violent urge to stab the ‘Little Sister’ first.

“Fine,” Xiao Yuruo spat.

“And if I win?” Han Lie asked.

“If you win, the debt of twenty lives is written off. I will cease the pursuit.”

“You arrogant fool,” a disciple scoffed from the back. “You think because you’re at the Golden Core Perfection stage you can match the Young Pavilion Master? Kneel now and save face!”

“Shut up!” Xiao Yuruo whipped around, her patience snapping. “We are a righteous sect, not a band of thugs! Show some dignity!”

The disciples shrank back, shamed into silence.

“A straightforward personality. I like it,” Han Lie laughed. He opened his right hand, and red light coalesced into cold steel. The Crimson Oath materialized, its blade thrumming with a thirst for battle. He leveled the weapon at her. “Please, Young Pavilion Master. Enlighten me.”

“Brother, fight hard!” Xiao Qingge cheered, retreating to a safe distance and cupping her hands around her mouth like a megaphone. “Don’t lose to that old auntie!”

Xiao Yuruo’s eyebrow twitched violently. Auntie?!

Sching!

Her sword left its sheath in a blur of silver light. “I will show no mercy!”

“That suits me just fine.”

Han Lie vanished.

He didn’t run; he simply ceased to exist in his previous location, reappearing instantly before Xiao Yuruo. The Crimson Oath came down like a guillotine, heavy with the weight of a mountain.

Xiao Yuruo’s eyes widened slightly, but her reaction was sublime. She didn’t block; she flowed, her jade-like wrist flicking her blade upward to parry.

CLANG!

The collision was not a sound but a physical force. A shockwave erupted from the point of impact, visibly warping the air. The cobblestones beneath them pulverized into dust.

Disciples on both sides were blown off their feet, tumbling like dry leaves in a gale. Only He Tao and Xiao Qingge, with their advanced cultivation, managed to hold their ground, though their robes whipped violently in the wind.

Xiao Qingge narrowed her eyes, the playful facade dropping for a moment as she analyzed the energy signatures. One cyan, sharp and unyielding. One crimson, heavy and domineering.

The sheer density of their spiritual power was suffocating.

This is the true power of Golden Core Perfection? she thought, a thrill of excitement running through her. He really isn’t just a boastful old man anymore.

On the battlefield, the two figures locked weapons, neither giving an inch. Sparks rained down like fireworks around them.

“Ha!” Han Lie grinned, feeling the feedback run through his arm. It wasn’t pain; it was life. His reconstructed body sang with the tension, his bones hard as divine iron. “As expected of the Xiao Clan’s genius. You have some skill!”

“You talk too much!” Xiao Yuruo gritted her teeth, pushing back with a burst of sword intent.

Boom!

They broke apart, skidding backward across the ruined street, only to lock eyes and charge again.